EKITI: MUSLIM GROUP IDENTIFIES ONE MAJOR ERROR BY FAYEMI AFTER FIRST DAY IN OFFICE
EKITI:
MUSLIM GROUP IDENTIFIES ONE MAJOR ERROR BY FAYEMI AFTER FIRST DAY IN OFFICE
The Muslim Rights Concern, MURIC, has frowned at the first
appointments made by the newly inaugurated Governor of Ekiti State, Dr. Kayode
Fayemi.
Fayemi had on Tuesday evening,
named Abiodun Oyebanji as
Secretary to the State Government, SSG, Biodun Omoleye as Chief of
Staff, COS, and Yinka Oyebode as Chief Press Secretary, CPS.
Meanwhile, MURIC has congratulated Fayemi on his well deserved
electoral victory and prayed that his tenure would bring peace and progress to
the good people of the state.
In a statement signed by the Director of MURIC, Professor Ishaq
Akintola, and forwarded to DAILY POST, the group wondered why no single Muslim
was among the first three appointments since both the governor and his deputy
are Christians.
“It is a dangerous signal considering what Muslims in the state
went through under the dictator and totalitarian ruler, Ayodele Fayose who is
currently rehearsing his incarceration songs in EFCC cell in Abuja.
“In flagrant demonstration of gymnastic religiosity and excessive
hate action, Fayose demolished our mosques. He forbade the learning of Arabic
language in the state. He encouraged matchet-brandishing masquerades and thugs
to attack Muslim worshippers inside their mosques.
“The blood of Muslims flowed freely on the streets of Ekiti.
Fayose’s ordeal has just started. We remember that we promised to visit him in
Kirikiri. We hope to keep that promise very soon.
“Under Fayose’s administrative misadventure, the deputy governor,
speaker, deputy speaker, SSG, COS, all the judges in the state, all the
fourteen (14) commissioners, all the special advisers except one, all the
twenty six (26) permanent secretaries, all the 14 permanent secretaries, all
the board chairmen, all the chairmen and members of boards of Ekiti State
University, the colleges of education and health technology as well as all the
sixteen (16) local government caretaker chairmen except one were Christians.
Muslims in the state who constitute no less than 35% of the total population
were totally eclipsed. It had better not happen again under Fayemi.
“Yesterday’s appointments hit us pretty hard. Three straight
appointments at a go and none went to a Muslim. Incidentally, all three
appointments are very crucial. They are personnel who must essentially stay
close to the governor every hour of the day. We are becoming disillusioned.
“Et tu Fayemi! How can the Muslims start getting the same
treatment they received under Fayose when they gave you massive support during
the election? We know you as a moderate and tolerant Christian. Have you
changed? What went wrong? We hope our fears will be addressed in the next few
days and weeks as your government takes proper shape. It is only fair that
Muslims are given proper representation in the appointment of commissioners,
board chairmen, etc.
“It is on record that Muslims received good attention during
Fayemi’s first tenure as governor of the state and we expect nothing less.
Fayemi was the first governor in the whole South West to allow female Muslim
students in public schools to use hijab even without any protests or legal
action. That action alone gave us the impression that Fayemi is one of the few
Christians in Nigeria who is ready and willing to promote religious tolerance
and peaceful coexistence.
“In our closing remarks, MURIC calls on the new governor, Dr.
Kayode Fayemi, to continue to promote religious tolerance. We urge him to close
ranks with Muslims in the state and to show the world that he is not a
religious bigot like his immediate predecessor. We remind the ruling party in
Ekiti state that Muslims deserve a fair share in the political appointments to
be announced in the next few weeks.”